Backing up Amiga HD to PC? Advice needed

Amiga1992 · 08 March 2005, 00:07

So, I want to back up my meega's HD to my PC so I can install SFS in the drive and forget about lame FFS problems.

I willconenct my Amiga's drive to the PC (already done) and do it all through WinUAE.

Now the question is: what is best recommended? Should I copy all he files to a virtual Amiga HD (a directory serving as the HD), or should I do it unto an HDF file? What would be better nad more reliable? I surely don't want to fuck up any data and I am not sure if this could happen if I back it up to a virtual HD directory thing.

Any help apreciated!

Jope · 08 March 2005, 07:22

Use lha with options that preserve the protection bits and file comments.

Pack it directly to your PC's drive.

At least that's what I do.. I use Samba/CIFS for the connection since my Amigas are networked.

manicx · 08 March 2005, 09:26

Akira, the best way to do it without losing info is Amiga Explorer package and a null modem cable. The best of all would have been a lan between your PC and Amiga but you need a PCMCIA Ethernet card and a few hours to set this up.

Amiga Explorer and the null modem cable is the easiest and safest solution I can recommend. You can backup all files in your Amiga HD or get directly your HD partitions as HDFs with simple drag and drops. In the past, I used parallel connection, but the software is really dated now and works really badly with Win2k and WinXP.

Jope · 08 March 2005, 09:47

Hehe, Akira is already familiar with connecting his HD to the PC and using it under WinUAE, so why on earth would he want to use a slow rs-232 or printer port parallel connection?

Speeds in a few tens of kB/s vs. speeds of megabytes per second. The choice is hardly difficult to make.

Also you can't keep the file protection + comments if you use Amiga Explorer.

thomas · 08 March 2005, 10:19

I agree with Jope, either use a HDF or pack it into an archive. Using a Windows directory as virtual HDD will risk the loss of file comments and protection bits.

Amiga1992 · 08 March 2005, 14:09

Excellent stuff Thomas and Jope, that's what I will do. I was thinking about the special Amiga-only flags that I might lose, that's why I asked.

Sorry Manic, but I wouldn't touch that slow piece of cack Amiga Explorer ever. If I wanted to do it the painful way, I'ddo it with TwinExpress at 115200

. Connecting the HD to the PC and mounting it through WinUAE is very speedy and convenient, and not a hassle at all. ven if I had a PCMCIA NIC in my 1200 I would chose to do it all in my PC with my HD connected to it for convenience. Even better, after backing it up, I can prep it from within WinUAE. MArvelous! WinUAE is in a point where it has exceeded the normal usability of an emulator to become a real tool for the real Amiga user.

manicx · 08 March 2005, 15:27

Well, I do have a 3Com card and it worked just fine, but I also use it for general networking. If it is no hassle to get the HD out then this is the best option as the guys suggested. My ideal solution would have been AE through a LAN since I could get the HDFs from the Amiga to PC fast and reliably. Unfortunately AE misses that aspect.

Amiga1992 · 08 March 2005, 16:14

Well I will be backing up the system, not just datafiles, so any strange flags or stuff the files might have, I need to retain.

I will back up both my partitions to my PC, then reformat and repartition my drive, install SFS, and put everything back into it.

08 March 2005, 00:07	#1
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,658	Backing up Amiga HD to PC? Advice needed So, I want to back up my meega's HD to my PC so I can install SFS in the drive and forget about lame FFS problems. I willconenct my Amiga's drive to the PC (already done) and do it all through WinUAE. Now the question is: what is best recommended? Should I copy all he files to a virtual Amiga HD (a directory serving as the HD), or should I do it unto an HDF file? What would be better nad more reliable? I surely don't want to fuck up any data and I am not sure if this could happen if I back it up to a virtual HD directory thing. Any help apreciated!

08 March 2005, 09:47	#4
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,921	Hehe, Akira is already familiar with connecting his HD to the PC and using it under WinUAE, so why on earth would he want to use a slow rs-232 or printer port parallel connection? Speeds in a few tens of kB/s vs. speeds of megabytes per second. The choice is hardly difficult to make. Also you can't keep the file protection + comments if you use Amiga Explorer. Last edited by Jope; 08 March 2005 at 09:56.

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08 March 2005, 07:22	#2
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,921	Use lha with options that preserve the protection bits and file comments. Pack it directly to your PC's drive. At least that's what I do.. I use Samba/CIFS for the connection since my Amigas are networked.

08 March 2005, 09:26	#3
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	Akira, the best way to do it without losing info is Amiga Explorer package and a null modem cable. The best of all would have been a lan between your PC and Amiga but you need a PCMCIA Ethernet card and a few hours to set this up. Amiga Explorer and the null modem cable is the easiest and safest solution I can recommend. You can backup all files in your Amiga HD or get directly your HD partitions as HDFs with simple drag and drops. In the past, I used parallel connection, but the software is really dated now and works really badly with Win2k and WinXP.

08 March 2005, 10:19	#5
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,031	I agree with Jope, either use a HDF or pack it into an archive. Using a Windows directory as virtual HDD will risk the loss of file comments and protection bits.

08 March 2005, 14:09	#6
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,658	Excellent stuff Thomas and Jope, that's what I will do. I was thinking about the special Amiga-only flags that I might lose, that's why I asked. Sorry Manic, but I wouldn't touch that slow piece of cack Amiga Explorer ever. If I wanted to do it the painful way, I'ddo it with TwinExpress at 115200 . Connecting the HD to the PC and mounting it through WinUAE is very speedy and convenient, and not a hassle at all. ven if I had a PCMCIA NIC in my 1200 I would chose to do it all in my PC with my HD connected to it for convenience. Even better, after backing it up, I can prep it from within WinUAE. MArvelous! WinUAE is in a point where it has exceeded the normal usability of an emulator to become a real tool for the real Amiga user.

08 March 2005, 15:27	#7
manicx Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 991	Well, I do have a 3Com card and it worked just fine, but I also use it for general networking. If it is no hassle to get the HD out then this is the best option as the guys suggested. My ideal solution would have been AE through a LAN since I could get the HDFs from the Amiga to PC fast and reliably. Unfortunately AE misses that aspect.

08 March 2005, 16:14	#8
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,658	Well I will be backing up the system, not just datafiles, so any strange flags or stuff the files might have, I need to retain. I will back up both my partitions to my PC, then reformat and repartition my drive, install SFS, and put everything back into it.

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